CNH Expands High-Tech Harvesting Stake With Investment in Advanced Farm Technologies

CNH Industrial recently made a minority investment in the California-based start-up Advanced Farm Technologies, which specializes in the robotic harvesting of apples, strawberries, and other fruits. The two businesses will partner to drive industry and ecosystem innovation by collaborating across R&D and commercialization.

In the United States, 46% of the production cost of apples comes from handpicking labor, 70% in the case of strawberries. These high labor costs are exacerbated by a continued downward trend in handpicking workforce availability. By investing in robotic harvesting, CNH industrial can adequately address the labor shortage and continue to align with its sustainable goals.

CNH is committed to automated, autonomous, and sustainable farming innovations that solve important and complex challenges for its customers. With this minority investment, CNH continues to add cutting-edge solutions to its portfolio and maintain its commitment to ESG.